Harry Potter Challenge Days 9 & 10

A little bit late on the 9th but it's my blog so I do what I want :)

Day 9: Least Favorite Male Character and Why

Ooh, this is tough.  Because the beauty of Harry Potter is that even the evil people have redeeming qualities or you can attribute their evil lifestyle to how they were raised.  Even big bad Voldy was that way.  He was incapable of love because he was conceived under a love potion, and thoroughly despised by his father.  That does not a well adjusted child make.  But since I have to choose… I guess I’m going to have to go with Peter Pettigrew, aka Wormtail.

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The only redeeming thing about him is that he did the Dark Lord’s bidding because he was a chicken shit.  He’s weak.  That being said, he’s lucky Harry didn’t kill him.  Because at 13 years old if I met the person responsible for my parents’ murder, I’d fuck that person up a lot.  Peter couldn’t stand up and be brave so he became a tool for someone more powerful.  His actions resulted in the deaths of Harry’s parents and the incarceration of Sirius because he got blamed.  Plus it just fits that his animagus is a rat.  And that his codename is Wormtail.  It’s too perfect.  Rowling, you damn genius, you!

Day 10: Pick one: Horcruxes or Hallows?

On the one hand, horcruxes can theoretically allow you to live forever, even though you have to murder people to do it.  On the other hand, Hallows can give you immense power over life and a cool coat for sneaky business.

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If I had to pick an individual item, I’d go for the cloak of invisibility.  First, it’s really pretty.  I mean, seriously guys, it's really really pretty.  Second, think about how much you could save on going to the movies?  Would that be awesome!  The movies are ridiculously expensive, okay...

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But if I had to pick overall, I’d go horcruxes.  The reason being, what if I only killed bad people?  Yes, I know murder isn’t right, blah blah blah.  But what if I could only murder despots or religious zealots?  I’d get to live forever, plus we’d be rid of a few assholes on the planet.  Just something to think about…

Harry Potter Challenge Day 8

What do you think would be your favorite subject at Hogwarts?

Um, all of them?  If I’m going to magical school, I’m going to love every single damn thing because it means I’m a mother fucking wizard!

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But Siriusly (see what I did there *wink*), I think I’d love Charms.  The idea of learning all these spells that will be useful in everyday life?  That’s awesome.  I also think based on my proclivity for defensive classes (eff yeah, self defense), I would love Defense Against the Dark Arts.  I thoroughly enjoy learning about bad stuff (I have a habit of reading about serial/famous killers), so I think I would fit well in this class.  But I would also totally love Care of Magical Creatures because it would be the wizarding world equivalent of playing with puppies all day.  Although in CoMC, puppies that could actually kill you.

So in conclusion, all the classes! Except maybe Arithmancy.  I’m not a huge math fan.

Harry Potter Challenge Day 7

Favorite Female Character and Why

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I think it’s probably what a lot of HP fans who are a girls would say, but Hermione.  I dealt with loneliness and isolation when I was younger.  When I started reading Harry Potter, I identified with her.  And I still do.  She’s smart, strong, selfless, brave, and will do anything to protect the people she loves.  She freaking wiped herself from her parents’ memories to protect them.

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If I were to pick someone other than her, I would pick Tonks.  She’s funny, a Hufflepuff, and falls in love with Lupin to make the cutest couple ever!  Her untimely end still kills me, and I wish we would have gotten to see more of her, especially her family dynamic.

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Harry Potter Challenge Day 6

Which house would you want to be in? What house do you think you would get?

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I want to believe I'm brave enough to be in Gryffindor.  I know I have moments where I'm not afraid to stand up for what I believe in, but I also think Gryffindors can at times be too rash or fool hardy.  

On Pottermore I was sorted into Hufflepuff.  And the more I think about it, I’m happy to be a Hufflepuff.  Even though the house gets completely ragged on, which is bullshit and I explain why we’re awesome in this post, Hufflepuffs are awesome.  And I’m proud to be one.  Every day I'm Hufflin'.

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Harry Potter Challenge Day 5

Favorite Male Character

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I really like Sirius and Lupin.  Sirius perseveres going to prison, and we aren’t talking Martha Stewart prison, this is some super super max shit going on...anyway, he goes there, and everyone thinks he betrayed his friends which resulted in their murder, and all he wants is to support his godson and clear his name.  He had a family that loathed what he became and the people he was friends with, and wanted nothing to do with him.  And he just kept trucking along.  Being a little shit, but doing good in the world.  Lupin, arguably, had it even harder.  Because every month, he fucking loses his shit and has no control over it.  He won’t be able to know what he’s done because he is quite unbelievably not himself.  That is some serious life suck.  But he comes out of it, he becomes a teacher (well for a year), and lives to fight on with his bad self.  Also, he snags a super hot/awesome/badass wife who is clearly my role model for existence (besides Hermione). These two guys are the best father figures Harry could ask for, but they get destroyed by war. I tear up every time I see Harry's reaction to Sirius falling away. Dan Radcliffe can freaking act, people!

Harry Potter Challenge Day One

Question: What is your favorite of all the books?

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My favorite book is the Order of the Phoenix, because even though Harry gets insanely moody and annoying, I absolutely love the Department of Mysteries.  I’m bummed that the movies skimmed over this part, because I find it fascinating.  When they’re running through the rotating doors and the brains in tanks and time turner room and the room that can’t be opened, I mean...omg I wanted to see this on film. If HP ever gets remade, I hope it is a mini-series with an episode just Department of Mysteries. Or a book of short stories about it. OMG JKR, please do this!!!  

But mostly I think this is where Harry really hits his stride of growing up.  Dealing with Cedric’s death and the Ministry saying he’s a liar and feeling completely unsupported by people around him, Harry is at his most vulnerable but is able to overcome it. Also, besides the obvious loss, who doesn't totally appreciate when Harry goes running after Bellatrix? He's such a BAMF.

How Harry Potter Saved My Life

I have a story to tell.  So please, everyone gather around.  Grab a seat and a cup of tea.

Once upon a time, I was a little girl.  Hard to imagine a time when I wasn't a snarky, feminist blogger, but there was.  I wasn't a princess, just a girl who lived with her mom in their house.  No cottage nonsense, or white picket fence.  But it was home.  One day, July 15th 2000, my mother and I spent the day together.  We went garage sailing, ate lunch, played Trivial Pursuit, and much to my dismay had to go to my mom's office.  I stayed in the car, lounging back in my chair while my mom did boring work/adult things inside.  Eventually, she was done and we got in the car to go home.  We never made it.  On the way back, a man fell asleep at the wheel and hit us head-on.  Since my seat was laid down, I ended up in the backseat.  The jaws of life were needed to rescue my mom from the vehicle, and she was in a coma for a while.  I ended up moving in with my aunt, so she could take care of me.  Being young and now pretty broken (compound fracture in right ankle and broken right clavicle), I needed amusements.  The amazing people my mom work with got together and bought me a plethora of distractions.  Included in these was the first four Harry Potter books.

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My first foray into the magical world of Hogwarts and dragons and spells happened at a time in my life when I was broken, physically and emotionally and mentally.  I was eleven years old and had to wonder if my mother was going to die.  How does someone that young cope with that kind of overwhelming emotion?  I did was kids normally do; I escaped.  I ran into a world where most things could be fixed with a simple spell or that any book could have the answer (no shock I identified and still do with Hermione).  And I fell in love with it all.  I gobbled up the books one after another, and could barely contain myself when I heard the first movie was being made.  I became obsessed with Tom Felton and Daniel Radcliffe who were clearly meant to be in love with me as well; they just didn't know it yet.  And as they grew up, I grew up with them.

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Just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione survived, I also survived.  But the magic that I felt in those books never left me.  I'll be the mom who reads Harry Potter to her children and has it as a nursery theme and hosts viewing parties and play quidditch.  I'll do it all.  Because these books will never leave me.  When my heart was broken and damaged, this is what healed them and just because they are over doesn't mean that part of my heart will be ripped out.  Instead, it'll be a part of me forever.  Always.

Now that the sappy part is over, I can move on to the exciting part!  I recently found a month long Harry Potter challenge.  And I'm using August to do it!  I'm hoping I'll be able to post every day, but will maybe do a couple posts combined to ease up on the pressure for myself.  But what better way to celebrate the amazingness of this series than with a blogging challenge?!  Besides a viewing marathon, which I'm currently in the middle of doing with two different people (I've watched SS with one friend and am up to the last two with another).  All Harry Potter all the time guys!  It's just the way it should be.  So prepare for my first post tomorrow!  Mischief managed!

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Hufflepuff Is Actually Awesome, Here's Why

I take to the vlog-o-sphere to celebrate the arrival of fall and defend my Hogwarts house Hufflepuff. It's a love of Harry Potter and being all Huffly!

For the honey badger video, go here.